Hardware Market Watch: Trends in Locks, Fasteners, Gate and Decorative Hardware in 2026

How do customers shopping for hardware behave, and what kind of projects do they undertake? What are their top product preferences? And, how does the state of the economy affect the hardware industry?

By diving deep into home improvement research, professionals in the hardware industry can learn more about the effectiveness of their current marketing strategies, make better decisions about how to market and sell their products, and ultimately bring increased sales and revenue to their organization.

From the rise of smart technology to the increasing demand for durable lock and gate hardware products, we will explore the key drivers behind the hardware market's growth and predict how it will shape up in the years to come.

State of the Hardware Industry in 2026

The hardware industry has seen steady growth in recent years, both globally and within the United States. Based on data from HIRI’s March 2026 U.S. Home Improvement Products Market Forecast, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for hardware in the home improvement market was 3.9% from 2020 to 2025.The consumer segment of the hardware market saw a modest CAGR of 3.3% from 2020 to 2025, growing to $19.876 billion. The professional segment, on the hand, expanded by 8.9% and was approximately $2.538 billion in 2025.

What is the Market Forecast for Hardware in 2026?

As of HIRI's March 2026 Size of Market Forecast, the total market for hardware is projected to grow by 2.9% from 2026 to 2030, down slightly from the CAGR of the past couple of years but not by much. The consumer market for hardware in the U.S. is expected to grow by 3.2% in 2026 and about 2.8% from 2026 to 2030, peaking at $22.943 billion. In a notable change from the previous period, the professional market is anticipated to grow 0.6% in 2026 and 2.6% from 2026 to 2030, when the projected value will be $2.881.

This presents a pos­i­tive out­look for hard­ware man­u­fac­tur­ers and retail­ers as the demand for these prod­ucts con­tin­ues. Hard­ware man­u­fac­tur­ers and retail­ers should be pre­pared to com­pete for shares of the mar­ket and cap­i­tal­ize on the growth oppor­tu­ni­ties that exist by stay­ing on top of bur­geon­ing trends.

Hardware Purchasing Preferences Among Homeowners and Pros

Hardware is used widely in the home improvement industry for both interior and exterior projects. As a product category, hardware includes:

• Cabinet hardware
• Screws, nuts and bolts
• Door hardware
• Other hardware products

Common Hardware Purchases Among Homeowners

Based on the most recent data from HIRI’s Product Purchase Tracking Study for Interior Finish. The most purchased type of interior hardware among homeowners is for doors. Among those who purchased hardware, here is what they are selecting:

• Doorknobs (67%)
• Door handles (55%)
• Door locks (48%)
• Hinges (42%)

For the most purchased types of cabinet hardware, here is what the research shows:

• Cabinet knobs (75%)
• Drawer pulls (66%)
• Cabinet hinges (36%)

Based on findings in HIRI’s Product Purchase Tracking Study for Exterior Envelope, the types of exterior door hardware being purchased include:

• Door handles (50%)
• Doorknobs (45%)
• Door locks (40%)
• Hinges (27%)
• House numbers (22%)
• Door stops (16%)
• Handle sets (14%)
• Kick plates (14%)
• Door knockers (6%)
• Mail slot (4%)

Common Hardware Purchases Among Contractors

Contractors also frequently purchase hardware for projects. HIRI’s Contractor Product Purchase Incidence Report revealed that for exterior envelopes, 55% of professionals bought hardware. For interior finishing, 37% also purchased interior hardware. Generalists are purchasing at a higher rate than specialists across most categories. The top products purchased in the exterior hardware category include:

• Doorknobs (38%)
• Door locks (36%)
• Door handles (36%)
• Hinges (33%)
• Door stops (23%)

The top products purchased in the interior hardware category include:

• Doorknobs (32%)
• Door locks (29%)
• Door handles (28%)
• Cabinet knobs (27%)
• Drawer pulls (24%)
• Hinges (23%)
• Cabinet hinges (21%)

Looking Ahead: A Rise in Smart Hardware

The future performance of the home improvement hardware market is difficult to predict, as it will be influenced by many factors, including economic conditions, consumer behavior and technological advancements. However, recent research has pointed to a rise in demand in the smart-apartment market, which could expedite the development of connected technology such as smart locks and touch-less hardware.

A majority of customers still prefer the traditional keyed lock, but there is a growing interest in keyless and smart-lock features, as well as biometric options. About 12% of homeowners who purchased door hardware chose smart home devices for a doorknob or lockset. Additionally, about one-fifth of homeowners wanted a dead bolt lock that could be connected to a smart home device, based on HIRI’s most recent Product Purchase Tracking Study.

Hardware manufacturers and retailers should take note of this trend and consider the rising popularity of connected features to meet changing consumer demands.If you are hoping to penetrate the smart-hardware market, it may be best to approach this through a partnership with other smart-home brands who can help integrate your technology into a more full-service platform. The smart-home and smart-apartment industry will be much larger than hardware, and brands that offer a full package with the least technological headache will be the most successful.

Customer Decisions About Hardware

Based on HIRI’s Annual U.S. Homeowner Project Activity Tracker for 2025, there is a steady demand for home improvement projects to maintain and update both the interior and exterior of residential living spaces. Homeowners are especially optimistic about doing smaller projects (in the $5k and under range), which can often include tasks like replacing hardware. Staying consistent with previous years, the main reasons driving homeowners to pursue home improvement activity in 2025 included:

• Maintain or repair (76% compared to 75% in 2024)
• Improve comfort (41%, the same as 2024)
• Improve aesthetics (36% compared to 38% in 2024)
• Safety and security (27% compared to 25% in 2024)
• Increase functionality (26%, the same as 2024)
• Increase home value (25% compared to 29% in 2024)

Among those who pursued these, and other, projects in their homes, about 12% reported having purchased interior hardware in the past 90 days, and about 20% had purchased exterior hardware. Looking ahead toward the types of home improvements that individuals are planning for the next year, these include:

• Interior projects (50%)
• Yard, garden, and outdoor (48%)
• Exterior envelope (45%)

For those planned projects, about 8% intend to purchase interior hardware and 9% intend to purchase exterior hardware.

HIRI’s 2025 Project Decision Study for mid-to-large project adds further insight, showing that hardware purchases are fairly steady across project type (exterior, interior, yard and systems). For major renovations, however, about 34% of homeowners purchased hardware to complete their project.

Hardware Purchaser Attitudes

Customer behavior varies, and manufacturers and retailers need to understand their customers' attitudes at any given time. In general, the top factors for selecting home improvement products in 2025 included:

• Price (68%)
• Quality (66%)
• Durability (60%)
• Ease of installation (41%)
• Looks and aesthetics (41%)

 Because customers seem to value products that are long-lasting, marketing messaging should focus on a product's ability to save homeowners from routine maintenance. However, many homeowners are also seeking to do hardware replacements on their own, so ease of installation is an important factor, as well.

Types of Hardware Commonly Replaced During Home Renovation

Based on product purchase rates by both professionals and DIY homeowners, the types of hardware that are most commonly replaced during home renovations are door hardware and cabinet hardware. These include things like locks, knobs, handles and hinges. To a lesser extent, customers are replacing or installing home numbers, kick plates, and mailboxes.

Brand as a Consideration Factor for Hardware Purchases

Brand is not heavily weighed as a purchasing consideration, based on data from HIRI’s Product Purchase Tracking Study. For interior hardware, 15% of homeowners factored in brand when purchasing door hardware, and for cabinet hardware, it was 13%. For exterior door hardware, about 19% factored in brand. Where there is a significant shift is for dead bolt locks, with about one-third weighing brand into their purchase selection.

Hardware Purchaser Shopping Methods

HIRI’s Product Purchase Tracking Study found that among purchasers of hardware products, in-store shopping remains the dominant method, followed by local hardware stores, for the consumer segment. Among homeowners, the most common channels for purchasing hardware for interior projects was:

• Big-box retailers (65%)
• Local hardware stores (17%)
• Online-only retailers (17%)

Among homeowners, the most common channels for purchasing hardware for exterior projects was:

• Big-box retailer (62%)
• Local hardware store (17%)
• Local building material stores (7%)

Top Supplier Channels Among Pros for Hardware

For the professional segment, the suppliers used for exterior envelope hardware include:

• Big-box retailers (64%)
• Local hardware stores (13%)
• Specialty suppliers and direct from manufacturer (5%)
• Online-only retailers and local building material stores (4%)
• Mass retailers (3%)

The suppliers used most frequently for interior hardware purchases include:

• Big-box retailers (74%)
• Local hardware stores (10%)
• Local building material stores (4%)
• Direct from manufacturer, specialty suppliers and online-only retailers (3%)
• Mass retailers (2%)

Pro vs. DIY Trends in Hardware Replacement

Because of the relative simplicity of hardware replacement, homeowners are more likely to complete this activity DIY, rather than hiring professionals. For interior hardware replacement, the project completion methods are:

• DIY and/or family/friends (74%)
• Both DIY and Contractor (11%)
• Contractor (15%)

For exterior hardware replacement, the project completion methods are:

• DIY and/or family/friends (71%)
• Both DIY and Contractor (11%)
• Contractor (18%)

With many basic hardware installations completed DIY, it’s important to cultivate messaging that resonates directly with homeowners, so they’re motivated to purchase your products for their projects. However, while contractors aren’t generally being hired for hardware replacements, they purchase both interior and exterior hardware products at a greater frequency than DIY customers, using these products regularly for renovations and new construction. For manufacturers and suppliers, that means cultivating strong relationships among both segments.

Stay On Top of Hardware Market Changes with Your HIRI Research Membership

HIRI works day in and out to pro­vide the most cur­rent mar­ket fore­casts to help indus­try pro­fes­sion­als make informed deci­sions. Every full report and raw data file list­ed in this arti­cle is acces­si­ble to HIRI members.

Need to stay up to date on the mar­ket forces impact­ing the hard­ware cat­e­go­ry and oth­er home improve­ment prod­uct seg­ments? Join HIRI as a mem­ber for instant access to new research. 

FAQs

What is the market size for home hardware replacements in the US?

In 2025, the consumer segment was valued at approximately $19.876 billion and the professional market was valued at approximately $2.538 billion in 2025. Based on data from the Home Improvement Research Institute’s March 2026 U.S. Home Improvement Products Market Forecast, the total market for hardware is projected to grow by 2.9% from 2026 to 2030. The consumer market for hardware in the U.S. is expected to grow by 3.2% in 2026 and about 2.8% from 2026 to 2030, peaking at $22.943 billion. In a notable change from the previous period, the professional market is anticipated to grow 0.6% in 2026 and 2.6% from 2026 to 2030, when the projected value will be $2.881.

Are homeowners more likely to DIY or hire professionals for hardware replacement?

Because of the relative simplicity of hardware replacement, homeowners are more likely to complete this activity DIY, rather than hiring professionals. For interior hardware replacement, the project completion methods are DIY and/or family/friends (74%); both DIY and contractor (11%); and contractor only (15%), based on research from the Home Improvement Research Institute’s Product Purchase Tracking Study. For exterior hardware replacement, the project completion methods are DIY and/or family/friends (71%); both DIY and contractor (11%); and contractor (18%). While contractors aren’t generally being hired for hardware replacements, they purchase both interior and exterior hardware products at a high rate, using these products regularly for renovations and new construction.

What are the most popular hardware upgrades in recent home improvement projects?

Based on product purchase rates by both professionals and DIY homeowners, the types of hardware that are most commonly replaced during home renovations are door hardware and cabinet hardware. These include things like locks, knobs, handles and hinges. To a lesser extent, customers are replacing or installing home numbers, kick plates, and mailboxes. The Home Improvement Research Institute offers both a biennial Contractor Product Purchase Incidence Study and biennial Home Improvement Product Purchase Tracking Study for U.S. homeowners. Both provide detailed insight into the types of hardware products being purchased most frequently by DIYers and professionals. Additionally, HIRI’s Project Decision Study explores the types of home improvement activities homeowners have recently completed or are planning in the near future and gives data about the types of building products purchased for these projects.

What motivates homeowners to replace hardware in their homes?

Homeowners are motivated to replace the hardware in their homes as part of maintenance and repairs, to increase functionality, and the enhance aesthetics. There is a steady intention among homeowners to pursue improvement projects to maintain and update both the interior and exterior of their residential living spaces, based on the Home Improvement Research Institute’s 2025 U.S. Homeowner Project Activity Tracker. Homeowners are especially optimistic about doing smaller projects (in the $5k and under range), which can often include tasks like replacing hardware.